Offstage: Queen of Mirkwood
by mindil
Summary: Thraduil and his queen have serious concerns about the oncoming dwarves. He has a good reason to be horrid to them and she has an equally good reason to be out of there. A look behind the scenes as they work out the issues. Foresight, strategy, compassion and bit of wry humor in Mirkwood.
1. Chapter 1: Surveillance

**Missing Persons: Legolas and Mom**

 _Why did Thranduil treat the dwarves so poorly? Was he just callous? That doesn't fit with his treatment of Gollum. Was he just a dwarphophobe? He was on good terms with the Mountain both before Smaug and after._

 _The vanishing elf picnics - were the elves really unaware of the dwarves and their terrible plight? They knew how to confront the dwarves directly the next day. But only after the Spiders had almost killed them, and not in time to rescue them, either. Was that more cold-blooded disinterest? Or was something else going on?  
_

 _The following is book-canon compliant through and through, except for a whiff of Tauriel (canon-adjusted) because she is too fun to leave out! There's no reason a canonical Mirkwood couldn't have a wild, out-of-the-box, rule-breaking elleth, and if it did, Legolas would certainly notice her - who wouldn't? She could even have been made a guard, though no sane king would have made her a captain, sorry. As for where Legolas's interest would go, well, book-canon seems pretty clear that it didn't go, but we aren't the only ones who would have found the subject interesting to talk about..._

 **Chapter 1: Surveilance**

"Your Majesties," the guard was interrupting breakfast, "a band of strangers has entered upon the forest road."

"Is this urgent?" Thranduil asked; the queen's look was wry. The guard's anxious knock had foreboded a report that would not await the morning meeting of councilors. Now the Elvenking gave an indulgent half-smile. "You must have run almost a week to bring this report. Rest yourself for a few hours. When you are ready, go back, keep watch and report at intervals."

"It did take a week to get here, running over the roof of the forest," the guard straightened up, pleased as if by a compliment. "The strangers, of course, are moving more slowly below. Still, they should be almost half-way here by now, and if not stopped, may reach the palace in ten days!"

"We understand. You left them covered by other guards, correct?"

"Oh yes, your majesty. The others chose me to go, thinking I was best suited to be the messenger. And my next reports should take only a day around, as the intruders will be closer."

'Excellent. I will look forward to hearing from you. You may go." He began turning away.

"May I mention," the guard interrupted again, "that the travelers are dwarves?"

"Dwarves?" the queen asked, puzzled. "What brings _them_ to the forest? They go always by the northern route along the Great River! With the forest road blocked before the eastern side, what could they be seeking?"

"How many are there?" Thranduil asked.

"Thirteen, or fourteen, we were not sure."

The king raised an eyebrow. "Find out their business and report to me. My guess is that they are foreign dwarves, trespassing on mistaken information, aiming not for our kingdom but for the far side. In which case, they are no threat, and the forest will surely deal with them itself before long. But even so, I would know what design they have on the region of Esgaroth. Or Erebor, perhaps? But what can thirteen – or fourteen – dwarves fancy to accomplish at Erebor?"

The guard stood uncertainly at attention.

"You may go, thank you. Spy out their intentions and report as soon as you may."

The elleth bowed and left.

"She is a good girl," the queen considered forgivingly. "Hasty with youth, but well-mannered and good-intentioned overall. I am glad you have given her a position that should keep her youthful energy out of trouble."

"I would not call her well-mannered," the king replied. "Nor am I sure that a soldier's life will keep her from trouble. But no one in the palace will employ her any longer, and leaving her idle would be a greater mistake."

"She does make a nuisance of herself wherever she goes, does she not?" the queen smiled. "But it is always so innocently done, with such a desire to be of use, to improve and change things for the better…."

The king smiled wryly as well. "The idea that with only 700 years experience she should find things to improve that have not already been done and undone a dozen times by her elders….! If she would listen and learn more and innovate less, she would have a more peaceful and meaningful life."

"And she would be less interesting to our son, think you not?"

"That is very well said, dearest. I believe you have hit the point of his interest precisely. Legolas is too conscious to endure centuries of tranquility. In past ages, Elves were so engaged in fighting the Enemy, that our thoughts were never turned by idle entertainment, in the form of radical ellith, or any other diversion. But Legolas has had no worthy task for many a century."

"If he were busy raising elflings, his thought and his labor would be occupied most meaningfully of all," his mother said ruefully.

"Are you now wishing for a wild elf-lass as a daughter-in-law?"

"Not in the slightest!" she protested. "Our elf-maid is diverting in the extreme, but Legolas's _fea_ and hers could not be inclined, or they would have been married five hundred years ago. No, his soulmate must be elsewhere in Arda. But there are so few unmarried elves anywhere," she concluded sadly.

"Yes," Thranduil echoed her sorrow. "We have been drastically reduced since the First Age, down to the Last Alliance. And it was the young who were slaughtered most. Too few were left to renew our people. But in any case," he said, more lightly, "Legolas seems remarkably content single."

"You might be misjudging him," she replied. "He does not complain, but were there some errand to take him to Lorien or Rivendell, and were there a suitable elleth there, I doubt not that he would spy her out."

"Are you thinking of Arwen, daughter of Elrond?" Thranduil was taken aback.

"Now that you mention it…." his queen's eyes were arch, "she is also unwed long beyond her time. And they share a noble lineage."

"Are you sure that she is not betrothed?"

"I have made inquiries, my lord."

"Why am I not surprised? And what did you discover?"

"Galadriel assured me that she is presently unattached."

"But you sound still doubtful. Why so?"

"I wonder that myself. The Lady's reply seemed of portent, but I cannot imagine of what. At her late age, Arwen is not likely to suddenly take an interest in anyone she already knows. Yet, if the White Lady is foreseeing some distant ellon to suit her granddaughter, why has she not arranged for them to meet?"

Thranduil laughed. "Women will always turn their thoughts to matchmaking!"

"Better than war," the queen replied.

"Speaking of battle," her husband continued, "I must join the councilors. The situation in Dol Guldor is getting too serious for neglect."


	2. Chapter 2: Dangerous Plans

**Chapter 2: Dangerous Plans**

A week later found the royal couple strolling in the gardens. The queen's voice sparkled like a brook over fresh stones: "I am eternally grateful to you for the gardens and glades that your power preserves for us. They are an oasis in the corruption that encroaches upon our forest."

"Thank you for your charming thought, and for the amusement of it, too," her husband's warmth was as a summer shower "'Eternally grateful.' How else might one feel, I wonder? 'Temporally grateful'?" He cocked a glance at her. "Or could it be that you have been reading Mannish tales? 'Eternally grateful' is their phrase, though I have failed to understand what they mean by it. What of theirs can be eternal?"

"I have never considered the question, my lord," she smiled across at him. "But yes, I have been reading tales from Laketown. They are a charming people. It is a pity they are so impoverished and oppressed under the threat of the dragon."

"You know how greatly we help them. We have been their primary trading partner since that monster destroyed their economy, and our metalwork, which they sell eastward, gives them a fair profit as well."

"Yes, we have no competition in metals now that the dwarves are gone from Erebor."

"We had no competition then, either. When dwarves were here, working metal and gems, we dealt rather in medicines and perfumery. But you remember those days better than I," he insisted.

"Yes, I much enjoyed designing fragrances and directing the work in the perfume shop. But there are no customers for such things, now. Dale is gone, Esgaroth is too poor, and there is no more traffic down the river to Gondor."

"Unfortunately, there is less from year to year. The shadow south of Mirkwood becomes fell, indeed."

"How goes the shadow in the north of Mirkwood?"

"What do you mean?"

"I am thinking of those dwarves on the road. Is the forest 'dealing' with them, as you told our fair guard?"

"No, not much yet. They are actually holding up rather well, though they are also holding up one of their number, and the heaviest, too! He fell into the Forest River, and to their credit, they did not abandon him, though it slows their progress, which is risking their provisions."

"Did you find out their errand?"

"Yes, my love. We guessed well. It is Thorin, Thrains's son - can you believe? - with a small company. He has not been in these parts for 170 years! And he is indeed making for Erebor! Can you imagine: he hopes to win it back and oust the dragon! I do not know what has possessed him, but I can only guess it to be gold-fever. Sanity does not lead that way."

"No, I suppose not. How many dwarves has he with him?"

"Twelve, thirteen with himself – oh, and they are traveling with a _perian_!"

"A _perian_?! One of those charming people who used to live down the Great River, near the Gladden?"

"Yes, one of the very same."

"Why, it has been almost two thousand years since any _periannath_ were seen this side of the mountains! So some still live? I used to wonder what had happened to them; I thought that perhaps they had all been preyed by orcs. They were a resilient people, but not strong."

"They were indeed preyed upon, until the remainder fled westward, over the mountains, into Eriador. But of what became of them since, I have given no heed."

"I wonder how they have fared? Does this one seem to have folk somewhere, or is he a lone wanderer? And how did he come to join the dwarves?"

"You can ask these questions of our pert elleth guard. She has taken an exceeding interest in our trespassers and is providing reports daily, now that they are nearer. But I have not questioned her much on the _perian_ ; my concern is the dwarves. They will soon reach the end of the road, and when they find it blocked, they will have to turn off it, and then either the spiders will get them or we will have to invite them here."

"That will be a diverting change for our folk; hosting dwarves! Not only Legolas will enjoy having something new to occupy him."

"I did not say that I intended to host them."

"What then? Let them be eaten by the spiders?!" The queen stopped and looked at him.

"That might not be the worst outcome," Thranduil replied, looking away.

"What on earth might you be thinking?!" She steadied herself, placing a hand on a beech.

"I am not thinking of leaving them to die, but I have yet to find a solution that serves. If we accept them, they will proceed to Erebor; I do not see how we can prevent it. But there, they will accomplish nothing but to wake the dragon, who will surely want to take a stretch to his wings. On his first tour of the neighborhood, he will discover that Esgaroth has been rebuilt while he slept, recall all his old grievances, and directly burn down the entire town."

"No!"

"Yes."

"But, what can we do?"

"That is exactly what I do not know. If there was a chance of the dwarves killing Smaug, that would be different. But none of our eavesdropping scouts – the more reliable ones, I mean – has heard a slightest word about their having a plan for killing him. They want to get in, rescue some treasure, and there their plans end. It is most peculiar. Even for dwarves it is irrational."

"Maybe our scouts misunderstand them? How indeed do they comprehend their speech?"

"In this we have the fortune of their _perian_. They treat him as a full member of their company, and in consideration, speak even to each other in Westron. It is a wonder at their manners, but however that may be, we would otherwise be more in the dark."

"Not all our guards are fluent in Westron," she tried.

"My dear," he said sympathetically, "we choose which guards to send as scouts."

The queen released the tree and stood silent, looking down at the grass, sprinkled with blue forget-me-nots. Finally, she looked up. "So you are quite sure of their aims."

"Yes, and of their lack of method. And more, of their unswayable determination."

"Perhaps you can offer to aid them? Then you could ensure that Smaug was either left sleeping or killed?"

"Dearest, if we could kill Smaug, we would have done so centuries ago. And if we could persuade dwarves and other people to let sleeping dragons lie, many sad tales of Middle Earth would have resolved differently ere now."

"So what do you plan to do?"

"I plan to think about it."

[Author's Notes: I'm not going to be naming Thranduils's queen. Unlike the typical OC, this character obviously actually existed, we just don't know her name. So in respect to canon, I'm not going to insert a "fictional" name. True, I'm inserting all sorts of words into her mouth, but they might well be a good guess at what could have happened. Whereas any name I come up with will have zero chance of being close, so I'm bowing out of making one up.]


	3. Chapter 3: Missing Information

**Chapter 3: Missing Information**

Early the following morning, the king sought his queen in her chamber. "Dearest, I have news to cheer your heart! The scouts have brought fascinating intelligence that may yet save the people of the lake!"

"Oh, my cherished one!" she sat up wide-eyed, her night-raiment arrayed behind her. "Bless you for coming to me so early, for you know how this matter has been weighing on me. Tell me what you have heard!"

Thranduil sat thoughtfully at the end of her bed. "Our spies tell a most curious thing. In their talk the dwarves have been mentioning a 'Durin's Day,' which they must either meet or fail of their quest. It seems that they have a prophecy, or perhaps some magical aid, which will allow them entry to the mountain only on this particular day. On any other they give themselves no hope of success whatsoever."

"Their entire plan depends on the potency of this 'Durin's Day'? When does it fall?"

"That is just what is most strange. They themselves do not know! They say that it is the last day before the last new moon before the first day of Winter. But they do not track the moons, and do not know when to expect it."

"Do they mark the seasons as we do? For the last new moon before Winter as we reckon it will fall 11 weeks from now."

"Their seasons indeed must differ from ours. For they equally describe their Durin's Day as being the last new moon of Autumn, so that their Autumn must be followed directly by their Winter. Whereas our Autumn and Winter are divided by the season of _Firith_."

"It should still not be hard to figure the day," the queen sat upright. "The next new moon is too early to be the end of any people's Autumn. And 'before winter' must surely fall before Midwinter. So Durin's New Moon must be the one either seven, eleven or fifteen weeks from now. This points precisely to only three possible days. But how does this help the Lake people? Do you believe that on this day the dwarves may overpower the dragon?"

"Not at all. They themselves expect the day only to grant them entrance to the old halls. Rather, with the council, we have thought like this: While the dwarves have hope of attaining their quest as planned, nothing will dissuade them. But if they can be made to miss their appointed time, they will need to wait a full year before they can again attempt the mountain. And then, in the intervening months, in the cool dampness of disappointment, it should be possible to lead them to a more rational plan."

"So you hope to detain them? But if you do, will their anger at us not prevent them from hearing any plan that we devise?"

"It surely will. That is why we must detain them in such a way that we appear to be their saviors, and not the agents of their disappointment."

"You will need a strategy that can hold them for an entire season. And you want to seem to be doing your best to assist them. But what rescue or assistance could ever take so long?"

"This is indeed a difficult program to devise. Not for the first time do I wish you would attend the meetings of the councilors! You are wiser than any other Elf in Mirkwood!"

"No, you know why I cannot. We both know that if you would take my advice, my heart would later break at the consequences of it. Or if I would listen in silence to the difficult plans you devise of necessity, then I would fall sick at the compromises to which we were driven. No, better that you bring me news as you do, carefully told to spare my heart, and take back whatever thoughts I can offer for the council to use as it must. I am not suited to the realities of government."

"Dearest, of course I know all this, and I love you for it. You are the pure crystal at the center of my being. The unblemished blossom at the heart of my life's garden. Stay here and be comforted that your wishes ever guide me to kinder, nobler, more honest dealings with whatever ills this age serves us up."

"I know this is so, cherished of my heart. Go back to your council and think hard, for I am sure that a solution will be found."


	4. Chapter 4: Strategies and Prophecies

**Chapter 4: Strategies and Prophecies**

Another week passed; the royal family was sitting in the music room after dinner with their closest circle, but the music was overlaid by heated talk in every corner, discussing the dwarves and their fate. In one corner the discussion was especially unhappy.

"Legolas," his mother importuned him; she, for one, had not eaten. "Adar is allowing the dwarves to be taken by the spiders! And he is forbidding our people to offer them food! They have been starving now for two days!"

"Naneth, forgive me. You wish me to persuade Adar to deal with them differently, but you know why this decision was taken."

"Yes, I wish you to do so, most desperately! His reasoning was sound as a strategy, but I cannot bear to see it being implemented! At least they should be offered water!" Her hands ran distractedly through the folds of her gown.

"Naneth, we have guards surrounding the dwarves constantly. The moment they are enwrapped and stung, we will cut them down and bring them here to safety."

"I have heard this. And how in the meanwhile, you cannot show yourselves bearing water because then you will have seemed to have allowed the attack. But there must be some way to leave waterskins for them to find!"

"Truly, Naneth, your wisdom and judgment have always been a light to me. Let them not fail now, when we have so many lives to save."

"The dwarves also have lives."

"We are not endangering them."

"The spider's venom is sometimes fatal, and even when not, leaving them stunned for fifteen weeks will surely cause them damage!"

"It will not be a full fifteen weeks. And we have successfully restored people even after four seasons. You were involved in those healings yourself."

"Those were elves. We do not know the recuperative power of dwarves, or a _perian_ ….."

The curtains to the chamber were suddenly pushed aside. Three guards entered, flushed with haste.

"Your majesty!" the youngest began.

"Tauriel," Legolas stood up and addressed her softly. "Let your elders speak."

"Your majesty," the eldest guard took over. "We have lured the dwarves off the path, as you directed, and the spiders are at work, but Thorin has escaped them. He is asleep enchanted in one of our glades and will soon awake. What shall we do with him?"

"Your majesty!" the youngest elleth interrupted again. "I left the forest later than the others and have rushed here because there is further news. The other dwarves are escaping from the spiders! I do not know how they are managing it, but the _perian_ must have been less poisoned than the rest, and he seems to slip in and out of sight, and has been attacking the spiders unseen. The dwarves are sure to be completely free by now. What then should we do?"

Thranduil stood up, his face clouded with urgent attention. He looked unseeing for a long space, weighing his choices, before he spoke. "Our plans are all disarrayed," he said, with a deep thunder. "The dwarves must come here or they will die of hunger, but we cannot treat them as welcome guests. We will have to invent charges against them with which to lock them in our dungeons. I will have to challenge Thorin with such a demand that he will refuse to treat with me even at the risk of overstaying his Durin's Day!"

"And then how will you befriend him later?" the queen challenged.

"I do not know. In befriending him and influencing him I may utterly fail. But he must not reach the mountain on the day appointed, and his company cannot remain in the forest any longer. There is not time to devise a better plan."

"Guards, bring Thorin to me in chains, without his companions. It will be easier to put on a show of anger against one than against a pitiful many. Then find the rest and bring them here by morning. And keep an eye on the slippery _perian_!"

The guards flew to their task.

"My lord," the queen's voice was broken with reproach. "You plan to do an injustice to the dwarves to rescue those of Laketown."

"It is not an injustice to prevent a person from doing harm."

"Yet, you will not give Thorin a chance to present his claim, his aims, his intentions. He will be charged falsely with no chance to defend himself. Is there yet no chance that he may have altered his plans since our scouts reported their intelligence? Or if not, must there be no way to discuss his quest rationally and treat him with honor and respect?"

"Nothing I know of dwarves gives foundation to any of your wishes. And nothing we have heard of these dwarves shows them different from their race. Respect and honor are precious things and I cherish you for your desire to uphold them. But the reality does not allow us to fulfill our highest wishes. The risk is too great. And not only to Laketown. Do you think the dragon incapable of burning swaths of the forest?"

"So you will not try to discuss, explain or entreat?"

"Absolutely not."

"You are aware of the extent to which this lowers you as an Elf – the extent to which it reduces your own honor?"

"I am. And I will suffer it for the sake of those I must protect."

"Legolas," she turned to him. "Does this make sufficient sense to you? Can you also see our king abasing his honor so, in the eyes of strangers?"

"My father and king are not subject to my opinion, my lady!"

"So your father will go down in history as willful, unjust, greedy, prejudiced and short-sighted!"

"My lady, I may hope that this incident will be small enough never to be recorded in history."

The queen stood and turned in a circle. "Does no one here have any foresight? Do you not see where this will lead?" she cried.

Thranduil stood back with crossed arms, looking at her with a mixture of admiration, intransigence and pity. Legolas knelt at her side. "Naneth, nothing will happen. Adar will see to it."

"My son," she leaned toward him. "You are keen-eyed beyond all others, but not toward the future. These dwarves have some fortune driving them. They have reached our halls hale beyond all expectations, and the _perian_ has some magic to him that we do not understand. They will escape our dungeons, wake the dragon, and bring about a devastation that will only be repairable with the help of their regained treasure, which they will not relinquish after being so mistreated. The people of Dale will challenge them, we will have to uphold our alliance with them, and before winter, there will be battle in the foothills of Erebor. Your father's harshness, so well-meant, will result in the slaying of Elves and Men, and the Shadow in the south will laugh at how he has brought low the noblest Elvenking in Middle Earth!"

"Naneth, you are overexciting yourself. Surely, such a small band of foolish dwarves will not move events on such a scale. Whatever befalls, we will be able to handle it as it arises. What do you wish? That we leave the dwarves in the forest? That we give them free passage to Erebor? You know there is not time to devise a better plan. Adar has experience of such confrontations going back to the beginning of the Second Age. Leave him to deal as he knows best and trust to _estel_ that the outcome will bring good for Middle Earth."

The queen straightened and looked her husband in the eye. "My dearest king, you must do as you know best, that is plain. Perhaps there is no better course. Perhaps all this is fore-ordained. But I will not stay here to witness your abasing your nobility, your justice, your kindness and your prudence. Nor will I witness the abasement of a noble dwarf-lord, however irrational he might turn out to be, were he given a chance to present his claims. These dwarves will be here for at least two months, if their escape be not truly foreseen. By your leave, I will spend this time traveling and will return when the damage is undone."

Thranduil looked at his queen in astonishment, with love, pity and admiration mixed in his gaze. "My dearest queen, you may travel to wherever you wish, and I will send a proper entourage to escort you. But where do you think to go?"

"I do not know. I plan to think about it."


	5. Chapter 5: Difficult Decisions

**Chapter 5: Difficult Decisions**

That evening, the queen was not present as the Elvenking questioned Thorin and imprisoned him. The following morning, she made her preparations to depart.

"Where will you be going?" Thranduil asked her.

"I would wish to visit Galadriel: it has been years since we went to Lothlorien, what with the road being under the shadow of Dol Guldor. But the circle via Eriador is longer than I am ready to make."

"Reports tell that the White Council may have just banished the Necromancer from there."

"Even so, the region will not be clear of his imprint for some time. Instead I will visit Imladris. It has been very long since we had converse with our kin there, too."

"You will need a guard crossing the mountains, though there is good news from that direction, as well. These dwarves seem to have killed the goblin king and thrown his creatures into confusion."

"Yes, I will need an escort. Would you think a company of ten should be sufficient?"

"Do you include some ellith to wait on you?"

"I am thinking of taking our impertinent guard, who can do double duty in that respect."

"You like her very much."

"Yes, she reminds me of myself when I was younger."

"You were never that sort. You were always both wise and especially sensitive."

"Yes, but impractical. Ever have I strived, with little success, to be more practical, more realistic. Tauriel reminds me of the joys of freedom from that pursuit."

"Since when have you and Legolas begun calling her Tauriel? Has she taken it as her chosen-name? It does not seem to suit her."

"No, it does not suit her. She found it in a Mannish book of imaginary tales about elves. In one story there was a terribly rule-breaking elf named Tauriel, and she found the character so engaging that she began to call all her peers Tauriel and Taurion in jest, or perhaps in earnest – it is hard to tell with her. The younger elves then began to call her Tauriel in return, and she liked it so much she adopted it. It is not the most appropriate way to choose a name, but in a way that does suit so inveterate a rule-breaker. Do you think it breaks any rules for us to use it?"

"No, I suppose not," he said with a chuckle.

"Would you be agreeable to my taking Legolas with me, also?" the queen asked.

"Are you thinking again of Arwen?" he rejoined.

"Not particularly, but perhaps some other elleth…"

"If your prescience about the dwarves proves true, you would be taking him away from a major battle," he challenged her.

"Perhaps that is the point?" she returned. "Besides, you said yourself that females prefer matchmaking to anything, including war."

"I do not believe you aim to protect him from danger behind your skirts. Perhaps you do not fully believe your own foresight," he contested.

"Oh, I believe it enough, but I do not fear for his safety if he stays home; I respect his fighting skills. No, I truly believe that finding a wife is more important that engaging in battle. He will have battles enough in his life, but I would have him engage them as a married elf, if I can help it, not as a lone one."

"I cannot argue about the joys of being married," Thranduil sighed. "And I will not attempt to argue about the merits of battle. But I am glad to think of his accompanying you for a different reason: it is time we re-established stronger ties with Imladris. In addition, it is befitting to you as queen to be accompanied by a member of the royal house. And Legolas himself would gain from a greater acquaintance with Imladris, even if that does not blossom into a betrothal."

"Those are all indeed the main reasons I too wish to take him, for all my teasing, and I am glad that you approve. But my concern still is: can you spare him?"

"I believe so. You know that I do not fear anything of great import happening here in the months ahead."

"In spite of my forevision?"

"Yes, dearest. Even so."

"Well, I can only pray that you are correct."

"Fret not. All will be well. May you leave in peace, return in peace, and find that we too have enjoyed peace in your absence."

"That is aptly said. Thank you. But I think that may be partly a Mannish expression that you may have picked up somewhere. They have another one: 'From your mouth to Eru's ears.'"

"Do they really say that?"

"Some do."

"Indeed! There are remarkable things about the other races. Perhaps I should set aside some time to read their tales and learn their lore, myself."

 _And so it came to pass that the queen of Mirkwood, Legolas and Tauriel were all absent from the palace during Bilbo's stay there, and consequently did not appear in his account, nor receive any mention in the Red Book._

 _The travelers had a relatively uneventful journey. They had one uninteresting skirmish with orcs in the Misty Mountains, and then spent the winter doing unremarkable Elvish things in Elrond's house. Tauriel made a nuisance of herself, but as unauthorized reports claim that many in Elrond's household were used to behaving in even more scandalous fashion, those who believe such things can hope that she was welcomed as one of the fold. The other camp can trust that Elrond and his family dealt with her with their trademark wisdom, dignity, etc., [read: restrained, British sense of humor]. In any case, Tauriel did not return with the queen in the spring, having found more interesting things to do in Eriador than were available to her in the forest. It may be hoped that she also found a partner, but tales do not tell whom he might have been._

 _When Gandalf and Bilbo reached Rivendell in May, the queen and Legolas were still there, and Legolas was appalled to discover that he had missed the greatest battle in the history of Mirkwood. Shamed at the wasted opportunity to [display/-] use his talents in good cause, he determined that he would not miss the next occasion, and indeed, eighty years later, his father was completely understanding of his insistence that he take the news of Gollum's escape to Rivendell himself. This time, the queen's premonition - that the journey to Imladris was just the beginning - was taken in full seriousness. No one wanted another eighty years of hearing, "I told you so."_

 _As we all know, Legolas did not find his life-partner in Rivendell, and Arwen was indeed soon "otherwise engaged." For those who are willing to believe that Gimli and Legolas were not a couple, you may welcome my opinion that Legolas finally met his match in Aman, after sailing across the Sea. Gimli, we must assume, remained single, but that being the natural condition of most dwarves, we need not pity his fate. The role of bachelor uncle to Legolas's children would have suited him to a T._

 _The queen and Thranduil lived happily ever after, after the fashion of elves. Whether they sailed West or faded together is not told, but for the remainder of their lives in Greenwood, they became fast friends with Men and dwarves, were avid scholars of Mannish lore and customs, and ever hosted graciously every stray traveler who chanced past their halls._


End file.
